Headline

Ukraine: 122,000 Nigerians, Others Protest Discrimination At Romanian, Hungarian, Polish Borders

Published

4 years ago

March 6, 2022

Over 122,000 Nigerians and other Africans have signed a petition on the discrimination against blacks who are attempting to exit Ukraine over the invasion of the Eastern European country by Russia.

As of 6 pm on Saturday, 122,732 persons had signed an online petition by a civil society organisation, Concerned Nigerians, titled ‘Stop discriminating, provide safe passages for Africans and People of Colour out of Ukraine.’

The petition, which was published by a global advocacy body, Change.Org, is to the Council of the European Union, European Commission, African Union, and the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Concerned Nigerians said, “Numerous African refugees mostly students in Ukraine are being prevented from leaving to safety as Russian strikes continue in the nation, according to individuals attempting to cross borders to neighbouring countries.

“Thousands of young African students mostly from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Somalia and other countries studying in Ukraine claim they have been abandoned, with some taking to Twitter in recent days to tell their stories of desertion.

“According to the students, certain locals are ‘prioritising’ Ukrainians, while black individuals face hostility or are refused passage at the border. On twitter, Ms. Sky said that under the present crisis, black people – particularly migrants – are more exposed to prejudice. ‘It is self-evident that we Africans are seen as lesser creatures,’ said Nze, a student who was forced to travel several hours to the Poland border. ‘The majority of Africans are still on their route to Lviv,’ he tweeted on Friday, beside a snapshot of the masses.

“The scenario has fuelled concern among observers within the worldwide African and Caribbean diasporas that, even during times of conflict, black people suffer worse than white people.”

The petition further read, “Another Nigerian medical student at the Medyka-Shehyni border crossing between Poland and Ukraine stated she had waited seven hours to cross and also that border guards were stopping and sending black individuals to the back of the line, claiming they had to allow ‘Ukrainians’ through first.

“Around 4,000 Nigerians are now studying in Ukraine, making up the country’s second-largest group of international students, after Moroccans, who account for 8,000 students. A number of Nigerian students and their families have gone to social media to express their worries about alleged racial discrimination by guards at crossings and security checkpoints, as well as a perceived lack of government assistance.”

Concerned Nigerians urged Africans to “sign this petition calling on Ukrainian border authorities to put an end to these discriminatory evacuation tactics and grant everyone access to safety across the border by any means available.”

The CSO said, “Our demands: We call on Ukrainian border authorities to stop the discrimination against Africans and other people of colour and ensure safe passage for Africans and other marginalised people into neighbouring countries.

“The African Union should issue a statement demanding the safety of Africans and arrange for airlifts of Africans in Ukraine or those that have fled to Poland and other countries. This is the time for them to rise up for Africa.

“Finally, the Nigerian Government must as a matter of urgency evacuate stranded Nigerian students in Ukraine and those that have fled to neighbouring countries.”

Concerned Nigerians further urged Africans to sign the petition “calling on Polish, Romanian and neighbouring Eastern European authorities to grant temporary asylum to African students fleeing Ukraine pending when they would be evacuated to their respective countries.

“We’re calling on Ukraine border authorities to be humane and everyone should be treated with dignity.”

The first batch of 450 Nigerians stranded in Ukraine returned home from Romania through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Friday.

The second batch of Nigerian 181 evacuees from Ukraine arrived in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, from Poland same day.

Nigerian airlines – Air Peace and Air Max – would transport stranded Nigerians from Romania, Hungary and Poland.

Air Peace left on Thursday to pick the passengers from Hungary.

The Federal Government gave all returnees from Ukraine $100 (about N48,000) to ameliorate their sufferings.

PUNCH.

Headline

David Lammy Appointed UK’s Deputy PM

Published

2 hours ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a major cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, in a move that could reshape the direction of his administration.

As part of the shake-up, David Lammy, a senior Labour figure and former Foreign Secretary, has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, taking over key roles previously held by Rayner.

The cabinet reshuffle comes at a politically sensitive time for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose leadership is under growing pressure from both within the Labour Party and the broader electorate.

The sudden resignation of Angela Rayner, a high-profile figure with strong working-class support, has exposed internal tensions and sparked concerns over the party’s unity and electoral strategy.

According to BBC News on Friday, the reshuffle is seen as a crucial test for Starmer’s leadership, especially as Rayner had been a prominent and working-class figure whose departure may weaken his appeal to core Labour voters.

Key Cabinet reassignment

-Lammy transitions from Foreign Secretary to Deputy PM and Justice Secretary.

-Yvette Cooper moves from Home Secretary to Foreign Secretary.

-Shabana Mahmood is promoted from Justice Secretary to Home Secretary.

Other notable appointments include:

-Steve Reed as Housing Secretary

-Pat McFadden as head of a newly expanded Work and Pensions department

-Douglas Alexander as Scotland Secretary

-Liz Kendall moves to Science and Technology

-Emma Reynolds becomes Environment Secretary

-Peter Kyle appointed Business Secretary

-Jonathan Reynolds named Chief Whip

-Alan Campbell becomes Leader of the House of Commons

Meanwhile, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray were removed from their cabinet roles.

Political Fallout and Internal Tensions

Labour now faces mounting political pressure. Observers note Rayner’s exit leaves a vacuum for constituents drawn to her working-class credentials, possibly intensifying internal party divisions.

Her resignation also triggers a deputy leadership contest, opening up a battleground between the party’s centrist and left-leaning factions.

Moreover, Labour’s popularity has waned, with opposition to policies on welfare and immigration increasing support for Reform UK.

Starmer’s government’s handling of economic pressures and an upcoming £40 billion budget shortfall deepen the political stakes.

Lammy Steps into Key Role at a Crucial Juncture

Lammy’s appointment is viewed as strategically significant. Known for his reform credentials and advocacy for criminal justice reform, his new position comes as Parliament prepares for the Sentencing Bill.

The Prison Reform Trust welcomed his appointment, noting the timing offers “an important opportunity to move away from the failed cycle of overcrowding and crisis management.”

This reshuffle represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of Keir Starmer’s administration. With Labour under heightened scrutiny and internal frictions rising, the effectiveness of the newly configured cabinet will be a litmus test of Starmer’s leadership, particularly as the party approaches a difficult budget season, rising populist pressures, and internal power shifts ahead of the next deputy leadership election.

Headline

Nigerian Arrested In Poland For Using Fake Residence Permit

Published

2 hours ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

Polish authorities have confirmed the arrest of a 26-year-old Nigerian citizen on charges of using a counterfeit residence document.

The individual was detained by the Polish Border Guard, known as Straż Graniczna, as part of ongoing efforts to combat irregular migration and document forgery.

This information, which was obtained by PUNCH Online on Friday, was published on the Border Guard Headquarters’ news outlet on Thursday, September 4, 2025.

The BG HQs of Poland is the central unit which services the Border Guard Commander in Chief by supporting and coordinating actions of the BG units.

The report indicated that, “the Nigerian man admitted that he ordered the document online while still in the UK, received it by post, and paid €2,000 for it.

“It turned out that the Nigerian had no legal basis for staying in Poland as he had been in the country illegally for four days.”

Consequently, the Commander of the Border Guard ordered him to leave the country within 20 days and imposed a three-year ban on entry to the Schengen Area.

In addition, he was charged under Article 270 § 1 of the Penal Code – for using a counterfeit document.

The man pleaded guilty and voluntarily submitted to the penalty, but declined to provide further explanation.

According to sources specialising in immigration law, many individuals who use these fake documents are victims of elaborate scams.

As one legal expert noted in a report, “Until the situation was clarified, Ibrahim was detained in prison.”

Law enforcement agencies across Poland have been actively working to dismantle these criminal networks.

A recent, large-scale operation supported by Europol led to the arrest of dozens of suspects and the seizure of thousands of counterfeit documents, including residence permits, visas, and other identification.

Headline

US To Cut Military Aid To European Countries Near Russia — Official

Published

2 hours ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

The United States is to end long-running military assistance for European countries close to Russia, as it pushes the continent to play a greater role in its own defence, an official in one of the countries confirmed on Friday.

“Last week, the US Defense Department informed the countries that, starting from its next financial period, funding will be reduced to zero,” the defence policy director in Lithuania’s defence ministry, Vaidotas Urbelis, told reporters.

The decision comes as US President Donald Trump struggles to end Moscow’s three-and-a-half-year invasion of Ukraine.

Urbelis confirmed reports in The Washington Post and The Financial Times, citing unnamed officials saying the move was part of Trump’s efforts to cut US expenditure abroad.

The FT said US officials had told European diplomats last week that Washington would no longer fund programmes to train and equip eastern European militaries along Russia’s border.

The Washington Post said the funding to be cut was worth several hundred million dollars.

In Lithuania’s case, the cuts would impact “the purchase of US weapons and other equipment, and training”, Urbelis said.

He added that it “will not have an impact on the US troop presence in the region”, which was funded through a separate US budget allocation.

A White House official said the move hewed to a January executive order Trump had signed that reevaluated US foreign aid.

“This action has been coordinated with European countries in line with the executive order and the president’s longstanding emphasis on ensuring Europe takes more responsibility for its own defence,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

Trump has long been sceptical of both US defence spending in Europe and aid for Ukraine, pushing some of Washington’s closest allies to play a greater role on both fronts.

The Lithuanian defence ministry official said that the US funding for training and equipping its military covered between a third and 80 percent of total military aid received by the country.

Estonia’s Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur told the Postimees daily that he viewed the US move as “especially symbolic, in a negative way.

AFP